Although veils for women are today associated with Muslims, their origin goes back at least three thousand years before Mohammed was even born.
Outside of the Middle East, this symbol of modesty had all but disappeared by 400 B.C. when the Romans introduced sheer, translucent veils into the wedding ceremony to remind the woman that she was entering a new life of submission to her husband.
Wedding veils also predate the wedding dress by several centuries.
Related Posts
-
How Did the Tradition of Serving a Wedding Cake At a Wedding Reception Originate and What Does it Symbolize?
Most wedding rituals are to encourage fertility, and so it is with the wedding cake. The tradition began in the Roman Empire with the Romans breaking small cakes of wheat and barley over…
-
How Did Veils Cause A Wedding Mix-Up in Saudi Arabia?
Double weddings are not uncommon in Muslim countries. In 1978, a father gave away his two daughters at a wedding ceremony in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. In keeping with Muslim custom, both brides wore…
-
How Did the Custom of Baby Boys Wearing Blue and Girls Wearing Pink Originate and What Do the Colors Mean?
The custom of dressing baby boys in blue clothes began around 1400. Blue was the colour of the sky and therefore Heaven, so it was believed that the colour warded off evil spirits.…
-
How Did the Wedding Ring Originate and Where Did the First Wedding Rings Come From?
A school of thought persists that the first wedding rings were used by barbarians to tether the bride to her captor's home. This may or may not be true, but we do know…
-
Where Did the Tradition of Wearing Black at Funerals Come From and How Did the Custom Originate?
Today, mourners wear black as a symbol of sadness and respect for their lost loved ones, but it didn't start out that way. Many years ago it was believed that the spirit of…
-
Where Did the Custom of Wedding Banns Before a Marriage Come From and What Does the Tradition Mean?
The custom of proclaiming wedding banns began in 800 AD when Roman Emperor Charlemagne became alarmed by the high rate of inter-breeding throughout his empire. He ordered that all marriages be publicly announced…
